ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Ha Ji-won to Hold Fan Meeting in Japan

Actress Ha Ji-won, well known for her roles in the movies "Love So Divine" and "The Duelist" as well as the TV dramas "What Happened in Bali" and "Damo," will hold her first meeting with Japanese fans May 26.

The meeting will take place at Tokyo's Nakano Sun Plaza Hall, which can accommodate 2,200 people. Ha will shake hands with all of her fans who come to see her on that day.

Ha's fan base in Japan has expanded since movies and TV dramas starring the actress opposite such top hallyu stars as Kwon Sang-woo, Yeon Jung-hoon, Kang Dong-won, So Ji-seop, Cho In-sung and Lee Seo-jin were shown in Japan. The news about her first fan meeting in Japan has drawn significant attention from Ha's fans.

Ha has recently drawn the spotlight as another promising hallyu star for her versatile acting in movies and TV dramas of various genres, such as epic dramas and contemporary films.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > New Singing Star Ayo Comes to Korea

Emerging new pop star Ayo will come to Korea to promote her debut album “Joyful.” She gained popularity here in Korea when her hit song “Down on My Knees” was included in the original soundtrack of a Korean TV drama recently.

She will arrive in Korea on April 8th and attend a promotional event on the 11th at the KT Art Hall in downtown Seoul. She plans to sing some seven songs during the event, including “Down on My Knees,” “Help is coming,” and “Only You.” Korean singers and a noted songwriter are scheduled to appear on the event as well.

Ayo will also make appearances on a variety of radio and TV programs during her stay in Korea.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Chang Dong-gun to Advance to Hollywood with Zhang Ziyi

Actor Chang Dong-gun and world-renowned star Zhang Ziyi will debut in Hollywood through the fantasy movie "Laundry Warrior."

Directed by Lee Seung-moo, "Laundry Warrior" is a joint project of South Korea, China and the United States.

It will be produced by Boram Film, which has also produced other joint projects such as "Seven Swords" and "A Battle of Wits," with the participation of Barrie Osborn, who also produced the "Matrix" series and "The Lord of the Rings."

Chang's decision to debut in Hollywood will be finalized this month after negotiations of all terms and conditions are finished. His partner will be Zhang Ziyi.

China's Xinhua agency wrote in a story about Zhang that the actress's next work will be the movie "Laundry Warrior," where she plays opposite Chang.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Lee Jun-ki Leaves for Japan to Promote “First Snow”

Actor Lee Jun-ki left for Japan early Wednesday morning to promote “First Snow,” a joint Korean-Japanese film in which he played the leading role.

Lee will hold a press conference with his co-star Aoi Miyazaki during the four-day visit. Lee’s agent explained that the Japanese media are greatly interested in “First Snow” because of the rising popularity of the Korean idol actor and promising young actress Miyazaki.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Japanese Fans Hold Art Fair on Bae

Japanese fans of Korean actor Bae Yong-jun held a 3-day art fair themed on Bae from March 23rd in Kyoto, and from Friday to Sunday in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Organized by Bae's fan club "EndlessLove-With BYJ," the fair entitled "100% BAE YONG JOON Art Fair" had on display 150 pieces of fan creations and a 55 minute video that was a compilation of 16 individual submissions.

The fan club says 900 people visited the Kyoto fair and 1,200 the Tokyo fair on Saturday alone, with an estimated total of 4,000 for the Tokyo exhibition.

Those with works on display also gave out picture postcards they had prepared out of their own pockets as gifts to visitors.

CUISINE > Spicy Chicken Rib

This is a dish that originated in the city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province. Spicy yet sweet, this delicious dish may become addictive, so much so that you can’t stop eating once you start. Spicy chicken rib is a great fare for cold winter nights, so enjoy this inexpensive and simple dish with your friends.

Ingredients:

1.5 chickens, boned

5 cabbage leaves

1 medium onion

12 sesame leaves (may substitute with spinach)

5 stalks of green onion

1 hot green chili pepper

1/2 hot red chili pepper

1/2 sweet potato (or potato)

Sauce:

1Tbsp hot chili pepper paste

3Tbsp hot chili pepper powder

1Tbsp each of rice cooking wine, sugar, dark corn syrup, soy sauce

2Tbsp chopped onion1Tbsp minced garlic

1/2tsp minced ginger

salt, pepper, sesame seed oil to taste

Direction:

1. Bone the chicken and wash the chicken pieces carefully under cold running water. Put slits on the outside so that sauce can penetrate deep into the meat.

2. Chop cabbage leaves, onion, and sesame leaves into big pieces.

3. Cut green onions into 4cm pieces and diagonally slice chili peppers and sweet potato.

4. Mix all the sauce ingredients and marinate chicken meat.

5. Stir fry chicken meat in an oiled frying pan until outside is done. Pour in the remaining sauce and add vegetables, while stirring constantly. Serve in a large, flat dish.

Tips:

1. If it’s hard to bone the chicken, ask your butcher to do it for you, or buy chicken thighs, which is much easier to bone than other chicken parts. If you are watching your weight, take off the skin and trim off the fat.

2. For a more hearty fare you may add a serving of rice cake, and cooked oriental noodle.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Japanese Actor Ken Watanabe to Make First Visit to Korea

World famous Japanese actor Ken Watanabe will make his first visit to Korea to participate in the press preview of his latest film “Memories of Tomorrow,” scheduled to be released in Korea on April 23.

Watanabe has become famous worldwide for his charismatic acting shown in Hollywood films such as “Last Samurai,” “Batman Begins,” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.” He has many fans in Korea.

The Japanese actor is committed to promoting his latest film because it is his first work where he not only played a leading role but also participated in the production. He was nominated for the best leading actor award at the recently-held Asian Film Awards for his role, which is completely different from his past masculine, tough roles, along with Korean actor Song Kang-ho (“The Host”) and Jeong Ji-hoon, the real name of singer Rain (“I’m Cyborg, But That’s Ok”).